Chair ladder



A. BING CHAIR LADDER March 13, 1934.

Filed March 2, 1932 INVENTOR BY I r ATTORNEY J and as indicated in Fig.2.

Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

' My invention relates to improvements in socalled chair ladders, andmore particularly has reference to a structure of the class describedwhich can be economically and strongly constructed from short pieces ofotherwise waste material, providing clearance for the legs when used asa chair, and adapted to provide stable support when employed as aladder.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates inperspective, parts being broken away, a suitable embodiment of myinvention when in use as a chair. Fig. 2 is a perspective viewillustrating the same when used as a ladder, parts being broken away.Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of part of the hinge mechanism in theposition shown when used as a ladder. Fig. 4 is a similar View of thesame when employed as a chair, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail showingan application of the partly collapsible lower step of the same.

6, 7, indicate the front and back legs on one side, 8, 9, indicating thecorresponding legs at the other side. 10, 11, indicate the side rungsconnecting said legs, and 12, 13, the side posts of the back, connectedby transverse members 14, 15, and 16, said transverse members beingconnected by rungs or rods 17, as shown. The seat 18 has a forwardlyhinged portion 19, provided with legs 20, 21, and 22, 23, the under partbeing suitably braced as indicated at 24, and at the inside of the lowerportion of the front legs 22, 23, suitable cleats 25 are provided whichprovide support for the collapsible section 26 of the lower step 27 whenthe same is used as a ladder, 28 indicates the top step of the ladderwhich is hinged upon the cross bar 14, shown to advantage in Figs. 3 and4, where it will be seen that the back of the hinge 29 is screwed intothe back of the cross bar 14, and connected at the top to the dependingportion 30, of the other half of the hinge, which extends beneath thetop step 28, as indicated at 31, said extension portion having dependingportions 32, which serve to socket or seat the opposite ends of thebottom rung 33 when the device is used as a ladder, the same being shownto advantage in Fig. 2.

The step 26 is adapted to fold down when used as a chair, to clear thelegs when sitting upon the same, and 34 indicates a cleat secured to thesame as shown to advantage in Fig. 5, and having a depending flange atone side 35, through which a suitable screw 36 may be passed at eachside of the chair or ladder, to provide pivotal support therefor. Theback posts 12, 13, have additional support upon the side rungs 10, 11,and the back legs 6, 8, project slightly rearward of the centre ofgravity, so that when standing upon the top of the ladder, the liabilityof tilting is reduced to a minimum. Also, it will be observed, that thefront legs 20, 21, when thrown upwardly for use as a ladder provide, bymeans for the rung 33, support for the front edge of the top step, asshown to advantage in Fig. 2, thus insuring a stable, rigidconstruction. 37 indicates a back rung, also giving additional rigidityand bracing to the device.

Of course it will be understood that various modifications may be madein the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from thespirit of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

In a chair-ladder comprising a seat, front and rear legs at each side ofsaid seat, a forward portion hinged to said seat, side legs secured tosaid portion and normally lying adjacent to and forwardly of said frontlegs, a step secured between said front legs, and a step pivotallymounted within said side legs and normally hanging vertically adjacentthe front edge of the first-named step, said forward portion and theside legs being adapted to swing about said hinges over upon said chairseat to form a step ladder and said pivotally mounted step being adaptedto swing to a horizontal position and means on said side legs forsupporting said pivotally mounted step in horizontal portion above saidseat. I

ALEXANDER BING.

